hey there, cupcake!

whew! what a whirlwind of a weekend it has been!

we made a quick trip to austin friday, came back early sunday to photograph precious emmy‘s 1st birthday party and then celebrate our graduating seniors with a cookout at small group!

we even managed to watch the annular eclipse, too!

and yes, you better believe that as soon as our evening was over, we crashed hard last night.

here’s a summation of our weekend in pictures.

momma jeannie (aka zach’s girlfriend), the lovely bride rachel, her friend ashley and sister molly

emmy’s 1st birthday

so many cute kids were at this party!

homemade german chocolate cupcakes! YUM.

some of our awesome seniors with jay.

eclipse in texas. pumpjack and all.

now i’m just hoping i didn’t kill my eyeballs while taking this photo.

5 friday favorites.

morning friends!

sorry i’ve been so MIA this week! i’ve been super busy running around getting my ducks in a row in order to official start my photography business! yessss! i’m so excited about this big adventure and what lies ahead!

i’ve also been building my soon-to-be published website via SHOWIT. if you are considering getting a new website, i encourage you to check them out. they are so forward-thinking for photographers and creatives, and the customer service is unbeatable. i’ve only been with SHOWIT it for a week and i feel like i’m already a part of their big family. it’s awesome!

alright, so without further ado, i have some summer themed yet manly 5 friday favorites brought to you by my hus-band.

1. balmorhea state park — the san solomon spring located in the valley of the ft. davis mountains, balmorhea is truly the best kept secret of the west. think of it as a live swimming pool. with the crystal clear waters provided by the natural spring, you can swim alongside the fish, practice your scuba diving skills or conquer your fear of heights on their 15 ft diving board. you can even camp out on location with your own tent or in their little lodges on site. as a side note, one of our hometown friends started a band named after the town. balmorhea is a minimalist instrumental ensemble that incorporates the harmonies of their instruments with the everyday sounds of life. it is the perfect music to have the in background as you study, host dinner parties or soak in the bath tub. (<—that last sentence is my take on it… not zach’s. haha)

2. roundtree & york polo shirts — while we were recently on the hunt for some new work apparel, we discovered the best simple man’s work shirt in the caves of the dillard’s men’s department. these polos are soft, not itchy and very breathable. their straight-tailored ends allow you to wear the shirt casually un-tucked so you can avoid looking like a school-uniform-wearing child who must keep their shirt tucked in 24/7.

3. hastybake grill/smoker — made in USA, the hastybake‘s classic yet innovative design hasn’t changed since the 1950′s. it is extremely reliable & will withstand the test of time & weather. zach currently uses one that was his best friend’s grandfather’s. you could definitely consider it the best family heirloom that you could ever hand down to guys.

4. summer lawn concerts — for years these have been our go-to for summer entertainment. every sunday evening starting in june, you can make your way over to midland’s museum of the southwest for some local jams. from country to rock n’ roll and everything in between, these concerts are great for family outings. load up your picnic baskets, coolers, lawn chairs and blankets, and make your way over there this summer. but don’t forget the frisbee or a scooter for your kids, because there is a little area just for them to run around and play if they simply can’t sit still as you soak up the music. let’s just say it’s definitely a great way to end a weekend before the start of the long work week ahead!

look at us babies!

5. paletas — when we first discovered las paletas when i was in nashville for school, we couldn’t get enough of it. and after moving back home, we were able to find several local paleterias that were hidden around town! also known as a gourmet mexican popsicle, paletas are refreshing summer treats that are great if you can’t decide between ice cream or a snow cone. with their creamy & fruity flavors, it’s the perfect way to meet in the middle and keep everyone happy. pistachio is the all time favorite in our house. mmmm mmmmmmm!

happy friday!

may the odds be ever in your favor.

although i did sport a homemade t-shirt–thanks, beth!–with the phrase to the hunger games midnight premiere, that’s not exactly what i’m talking about here.

okay, actually…. it has nothing to do with what i’m going to talk about.

except for maybe the odds part.

because last weekend was our first time to visit las vegas!

we had a fun couples trip with zach’s siblings and their spouses as we oohed & aahed over the done-up and over-the-top casinos, restaurants and shops.

not only were the acm awards in town, but so were the spring break masses.

let’s just say it was a little busy.

oh, and my sister-in-law shaunna and i may or may not have had a run in with miranda lambert in the ladies room.

yep. she walked out, we walked in, we glanced at each other and nodded in confirmation.

i’d like to think it’s nice to give celebrities their space since they are constantly bombarded with pushy fans, paparazzi and the like.

and then i secretly celebrate the moment of “almost” meeting one to myself.

is that lame?

probably. it’s not as cool as actually meeting one, is it?

oh, well. i guess if i were famous, i’d like to think i’d appreciate a similar gesture.

anyway, between the miles of walking and newly formed blisters, we stuffed ourselves on yummy food by celebrity chefs, enjoyed an entertaining and inspiring evening with the jabbawockeez & shopped like it was going out of style.

oh, and there was a little gambling in there somewhere.

the analytical, mathematical, determined–did i mention handsome?–husband of mine came up with a fairly fool proof theory to the game of our choice: roulette.

however, there were a few holes in the system.

let’s just say we didn’t come back with anything like the mega-millions lottery winners.

or really anything at all, for that matter.

actually, i take that back.

we made some great memories, enjoyed some fantastic food & entertainment, upgraded my $5 walmart sunglasses to my first pair of raybans and even had some money to spare from our trip budget.

that’s DEFINITELY better than nothin’!

anyway, here are some photos of our trip.

little boy blue.

i’m a bit nostalgic these days.

so here’s another photo teaser from my time in ukraine in 2009.

during our visit, we spent one day at a baby orphanage.

i played on the play ground with this little guy.

we chased birds with tree branches, slid down slides and took photos of one another.

i know, i know…. i should totally be a model.

ha.

i call him,

little boy blue.

an international women’s day abroad.

on my travel tab, you will notice that one of the places i’ve been has yet to possess a story of my time spent there.

so today, in honor of international women’s day, i wanted to share a tid-bit of my trip to ukraine in 2009.

you might be thinking, “okay. where is she going with this? why is this day significant to the story? i don’t see it.”

well, on march 8th 3 years ago, i walked the streets of simferopol in crimea, ukraine. and i kept a daily journal of our experiences, taking note of everyone and everything around me.

but let me rewind a smidge and preface what i was doing over in ukraine.

at belmont, i majored in religion and the arts.

now, when i first mention that to people, they always think i studied the art history of the church. and in some ways, we did cover that. but it was so much MORE.

we spoke of things like creation, beauty and art as a means of relating to our creative Creator. we discussed the importance of expressing faith through art, music, dance, photography, writing, etc. i truly believe art to be a universal language. an expression that carries meaning and transcends the need for explanation in a native tongue.

art is good.

and art is Good.

so, with that being said, the head professor for the religion and the arts program decided to put together an arts-focused mission trip to ukraine over spring break. and i went.

there we go.

after our first day of arriving and settling in, the leaders of orphan’s hope ukraine showed us around the town of simferopol. (orphan’s hope is an organization we partnered with in order to work with children in local the orphanages during our stay.)

it was a sunday, and we had a breakast of omelettes and black tea at a little restaurant off the main street.

on our way there, women were walking around like it was valentine’s day in high school, carrying around big teddy bears, bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolates.

all for simply being a woman.

as a token of appreciation of being a female, dima, one of the leaders gave the girls of the group a single, simple, beautiful, white snowcap flower.

it’s nice to be appreciated for just being you, isn’t it?

i definitely could get used to this!

haha.

just kidding.

well, kind of.

anyway, happy international women’s day to all you fine ladies out there and stay tuned for my full story on my time in ukraine!

p.s. if you really like the teacup & flower pic above, you can have you’re very own for yourself!

simply visit my etsy shop!

and in honor of today, you’ll get FREE SHIPPING!

at checkout enter the code: FREESHIP

how about them apples?